1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for applying decorative coating or decorative film of a removable transfer foil to wood or other material or workpieces, and specifically to a machine designed to effectively transfer decorative coating or decorative film from a transfer foil to a workpiece having a straight or contoured serpentine edge; that is, an edge having a profile such that its circumference varies from top to bottom and along which a given cross-section of transfer foil must be stretched at different levels of tension in order to eliminate crinkling or creasing of the foil.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, inventors have directed their efforts toward the creation of various devices for applying transfer foil to contoured edges of a substrate. In the cabinet, furniture and interior-finish materials industry, many doors, side panels and other workpieces are presently constructed of materials such as plastics, reconstituted fiberboard, chip board and medium-density fiberboard, and other materials which are less costly than solid or veneered wood. The exposed surfaces of such workpieces are generally finished in such a way that they simulate natural woodgrain finish. In order to attain these characteristics, persons have utilized machines with rollers to apply the desired decorative film of transfer foil to flat, planar surfaces of such workpieces, as well as to contoured edges with relatively simple profiles. While such machines have done a substantially adequate job with speed and precision on planar surfaces and contoured edges, so long as the surface to be covered is not curved, the application of the film of transfer foil to curved contoured edges has continued to be plagued by wrinkles, creases and/or gaps which detract from the appearance of a finished edge and reduce the marketability of the final product.
Applicant is unaware of any prior art which teaches a foil applicator capable of applying a decorative film of transfer foil to a serpentine surface the shape of which requires the same amount of decorative film of transfer foil to extend over varying lengths without crinkling or creasing.